Mindset Unlimited: Tips, Tools, and Inspiration for Women in a Time of Change

You’re struggling to get something done and you’re trying not to beat yourself up but the longer it takes, the more you wonder if giving yourself grace has turned into another excuse. However, the problem isn’t giving yourself grace. Beating yourself up makes it harder to make supportive, intentional choices. So, grace is a critical first step toward taking action but you will feel stuck if you stop there. The next steps are restoring connection to context, capacity, and choice — not from applying more pressure. In this episode, I’ll walk you through the why and what of each of these steps.

 Some of what I cover is:

• What grace actually is, and where it turns into an excuse
• Why punitive self-talk feels like the only way to motivate yourself
• How "I am" statements turn a pattern into an identity
• A step-by-step process for moving forward without beating yourself up

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

What’s Killing My Motivation? 

Deep Self-Care to Shift Habits 

Am I Just Making Excuses? 

The Energy Leadership Index Assessment

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Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

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This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

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Understanding collective grief and reconnecting to a sense of purpose explores the increasingly pervasive feelings of aimlessness and low motivation and what you can do about it. We are living through a time of ongoing crisis in a society that fails to recognize and allow room for the wide-ranging impact of grief when it’s personal, let alone when it’s collective. When you’re not directly impacted by the crises (yet), it’s understandable to be confused at the energetic drain you’re experiencing. This episode unpacks how collective grief quietly shapes your brain and pulls at your energy, especially when we layer on stories of personal failing or laziness. Listen if you want language, context, and gentle tools to help you feel more understood and more connected to a sense of purposefulness in everyday life.

Some of what I talk about in this episode includes:

• The “lazy” story we tell ourselves that keeps us stuck and ashamed
• How grief and chronic stress impact the body, brain, and motivation
• Supportive ways to engage with stress, vicarious trauma, and collective grief
• Purposeful living and meaning-making as ways to feel reconnected and less alone

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

National Library of Medicine: Collective Trauma and the Social Construction of Meaning

National Health Care for the Homeless Council: Confronting Collective and Cumulative Grief as Institutional Responsibility

American Brain Foundation: Healing Your Brain After Loss 

NPR: How Your Brain Copes with Grief

Priya Parker - How to Hold Collective Grief 

Renegade Grief: A Guide to the Wild Ride of Life After Loss 

Being A Quaker: A guide for newcomers 

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Schedule an exploration call

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

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Support the show

Learning to value your voice is a process of reclamation for many of us but particularly when you’ve experienced abuse. In this episode, I chat with the founder of &Rise, Jennifer Solarte, and we dive into practical mindset shifts, somatic awareness, and financial self-protection so you can break harmful cycles and rewrite your story with confidence. If you’ve ever questioned whether what you’re experiencing is “normal” or felt silenced in your own life, this conversation offers both validation and tools to help you rise.

Some of what we talk about in this episode includes:

• How to recognize when your voice has been silenced and finding you superpower
• Subtle and obvious red flags in relationships, including financial control and “jealousy as love”
• The importance of building financial safety, independence, and credit in your relationship
• The role of community, somatic awareness, and boundaries in healing after abuse and creating a future you choose

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER:

&Rise www.womenrisechicago.org 

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@and_rise_  

Facebook https://facebook.com/womenrisechicago  

Instagram https://instagram.com/and_rise__ 

Subscribe to our newsletter https://www.womenrisechicago.org/subscribe

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

Schedule an exploration call

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This episode offers support to rescue your nervous system from burnout and brain rot with gentle tips and powerful insights. If you are you’re feeling fried by constant stress, endless to‑do lists, or brain‑numbing scrolling, this episode helps you understand what your nervous system is actually trying to tell you so you can respond with care instead of self-blame. You’ll walk away with simple, realistic shifts that make life feel more doable, even when the world still feels heavy.

Some of what we talk about in this episode includes:

• How “nesting dolls of stress” and liminal seasons (like end of summer) impact your nervous system
• Shifting from shame and self-blame into choice, capacity, and compassionate responsibility
• Practical somatic tools to get out of your head and back into your body (without bypassing real problems)
• The difference between AI-driven “support” and real human connection—and why community matters for resilience

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

Emile Ennis Jr. Instagram 

Liberation With Ekta Instagram 

Mindset Unlimited: How to Manifest What You Want 

Harvard Business Review: AI Doesn't Reduce Work It Intensifies It 

Brave Space Alliance

Albany Park Theater Project

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Schedule an exploration call

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Navigating a Mid-life Crisis and the Reclamation of Self explores what it really means to hit a midlife “crisis” and why it might actually be an invitation to reclaim who you are instead of a sign that something’s gone wrong. This episode helps you see your midlife career and life questions through a new lens, so you can stop wondering “Is it just me?” and start understanding the deeper patterns at play. If you’re feeling restless, stuck, or like you did “all the right things” and still aren’t happy, this conversation gives you language, validation, and direction for what comes next.

Some of what we talk about in this episode includes:

• Where the idea of a “midlife crisis” comes from and how cultural stories shape your experience
• The difference between genuine crisis and a powerful period of transition and reevaluation
• How attention capitalism and constant busyness affect when and how we finally prioritize ourselves
• Practical ways to honor this midlife season, without feeling like you’re broken or behind

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

The Modern Midlife Crisis – Psychology Today

Midlife Crisis - Wikipedia

Quarter Life Crisis - LinkedIn 

Quarter Life Crisis – Newport Institute

Leaning Into a Mid-Life Career Change [coaching]

Reclaiming Your Attention to Focus on What Matters

Honoring Menopause as a Life Stage 

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Schedule an exploration call

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

If traditional networking leaves you feeling drained, unseen, or like you have to leave parts of yourself at the door, this conversation is for you. In this episode, Valerie speaks with Women Belong co-founders Kate Alpert and Dorothy Rosen about building business relationships that support your whole self. You’ll come away with a deeper vision of what’s possible when women gather in community, dream bigger together, and measure success by impact as much as income.

Some of what we talk about on this episode includes:

• Redefining professionalism and showing up as your whole self in business
• Challenging internalized rules about work, rest, play, and success
• How loss and grief can invite new clarity of purpose and connection
• Creating spaces of belonging as hope in action

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

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CONNECT WITH DOROTHY & KATE:

Women Belong website 

Come to a Women Belong Event

Visit a Women Belong Circle

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Dorothy’s LinkedIn

Kate’s LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

Schedule an exploration call

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

How to stop procrastinating starts with knowing that procrastination isn’t a character flaw. It’s a signal pointing toward misalignment, fear, or lack of support. It’s hard to find or sustain solutions when you’re beating yourself up. In this episode you’ll learn practical, compassionate ways to get curious about what and why you’re avoiding doing something, recalibrate to what actually matters, and create small, supported steps forward. If you’re tired of motivating through shame and ready to take action in a way that works, this episode is for you.

Some of what I explore in this episode includes:

• How procrastination, avoidance, “shoulds,” shame, and time management pressures fit together
• How to tell if you’re procrastinating from fear, perfectionism, overwhelm, or true misalignment
• Practical tools for overcoming procrastination: breaking tasks down, using deadlines, accountability, and body doubling
• How to work with your real energy and neurodivergent brain using curiosity, values, and self-compassion

 Download the Procrastination Support Checklist!

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited

RELATED MINDSET UNLIMITED EPISODES:

What’s Killing My Motivation

It’s Simple So Why Am I Not Doing It Coaching 

What To Do When You’ve Fallen Behind 

Unlocking Your Leadership Energy

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Schedule an exploration call

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Cultivating a Culture of Truthlighting offers a path for workplaces to move away from practices that gaslight women and toward ones that build a culture grounded in truth, trust, and accountability that advance fair opportunities for women. In this episode, my guest, leadership and workplace culture consultant and author Dr. Falguni Shah, shares practical ways to recognize gaslighting, validate people’s reality, and use “truthlighting” behaviors to create safer, more inclusive environments where people can thrive instead of constantly second-guessing themselves. This conversation is for anyone who senses something is “off” at work and wants language, clarity, and tools to drive real change.

Some of what we talk about on this episode includes:

• The erosion of self-trust from workplace gaslighting
• Shifting from “imposter syndrome” to impostor’s ambition
• Cultivating truthlighting as a leadership and culture framework
• When it’s time to leave and reclaim your purpose, confidence, and truth.

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

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CONNECT WITH FALGUNI:

WEBSITE

BUY THE BOOK: FROM GASLIGHTING TO TRUTHLIGHTING

MEDIA FEATURES  

BOOK FALGUNI TO SPEAK 

LINKEDIN  

INSTAGRAM  

FACEBOOK

TIKTOK 

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

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Schedule an exploration call

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Talking to your partner about internalized patriarchy is easy to put off (especially when he seems “better than most”). But if you’re feeling increasingly frustrated by how it shows up in shared routines, the mental load, and emotional labor, it’s time to do more than just commiserate with friends. In this episode, we’ll explore how those “small” frustrations connect to sacred rage, how to recognize your own internalized norms, and how to resource yourself and set boundaries. You’ll walk away with language and tools to invite your partner into a collaborative, honest conversation about changing the dynamics in your home.

Some of what I explore in this episode includes:

• Recognizing your part and being willing to change
• Stop minimizing emotions and understanding sacred rage
• Resourcing yourself and setting boundaries
• Ways to invite a conversation and initiate change

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited

RELATED MINDSET UNLIMITED EPISODES:

CNN Exposing a global r*pe academy

Creating Change through Joy for Greater Ease with Heather Vickery

Partner Alignment Workbook

Stress Language Quiz

Energy Leadership Index Assessment code FLASHELI

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

Schedule an exploration call

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Creating real change often feels heavy, but what if joy is actually the most sustainable way through it? In this conversation with my guest, transformation coach Heather Vickery, we explored what it actually means to create change through joy, why authenticity is more than a buzzword, and how we can hold grief and joy at the same time without bypassing the very real challenges we’re facing. Tune in to learn how joy can be a compass for navigating big life transitions and designing a life that truly fits you.  

Some of what we talk about on this episode includes:

• Honoring your embodied knowing
• Finding your place in the work of change
• Prioritizing joy while honoring grief
• Building intentional community

Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!

Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited

LINKS TO REFERENCES MADE IN THIS EPISODE:

Chicago Empower Breakfast

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

WEBSITE

CONNECT WITH HEATHER

FREE HUMAN DESIGN CHART 

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

Schedule an exploration call

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective 

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show